This summary provides the key points from the document in 3 sentences: The document discusses a study that examined whether primary school students could identify ethical, moral, and political issues related to technology when analyzing science fiction stories, and if they could write their own science fiction stories addressing such issues. Analysis of the students' worksheets and stories found they could identify positive and negative technological aspects and impacts on society from the stories. The students were also able to write their own basic science fiction stories incorporating societal, ethical, and moral dimensions of technology.

1. ASPECTS OF TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE FICTION
TEXTS SCIENCE FICTION IN SCIENCE CLASSROOM: AN
EMPIRICAL STUDY
Ioanna Stavrou1
and Constantine Skordoulis2
1
Ph.D Student
2
Professor of Physics and Epistemology of Natural Sciences
1, 2
National & Kapodistrian University of Athens,
Faculty of Primary Education, Department of Physical Science, Technology and
Environmental Studies
Abstract: This study refers to the research conducted with primary school students examining
whether they can identify the issues raised by the ethics, moral and political aspects of
Technology through analyzing science fiction texts (short stories). In addition, we examine
whether they can write science fiction stories of their own raising the above mentioned issues.
The research was conducted with a sixth-grade primary school class of 22 students over a
period of six weeks in two-hour sessions, where students read and analyzed science fiction
short stories and wrote science fiction stories of their own.
Our data (worksheets and science fiction stories by the students) were analyzed with
Qualitative Content Analysis. Our analysis shows that the students can identify the elements
of the text referring to the positive and negative aspects of Technology concerning the ethical
and moral issues related to society. The students are at ease writing science fiction stories in
which societal, ethical and moral aspects of Technology are presented, especially, as far as the
use of Technology in the solution of environmental problems is concerned.
Keywords: science fiction, critical considerations (deliberations) of technology
INTRODUCTION
This study refers to the research conducted with primary school students examining whether
the students can identify ethical, moral and political issues related to Technology raised in
science fiction texts.
Science fiction texts were chosen as their plot often involves Science and Technology, as well
as the impact that these have on society and the environment. The extrapolation of the what
if of science fiction texts does not violate scientific principles, but relies on them to guide
thought experiments through to possible consequence (Czerneda, 2006).This process makes
us concerned with current technologies enabling us to observe the possible manifestations of
scientific progress and to experience and appreciate the many ways this may impact upon
society and environment (Stavrou & Skordoulis, 2008). It can also serve as a focal point for
discussion about our attitudes, perceptions, hopes and fears about Science and Technology
(Berne, 2008). Additionally, science fiction texts highlight the ethical and policy issues raised
by Science and Technology and provoke controversy and debate about possibilities and
ramifications for humanity. The narrative elements of science fiction literary genre are used in
the discourse of Science and Technology to bridge the gap not only between what is
technically possible today and its inflated promises for the future but also to probe into the
ethics about Science and Technology. Thus, science fiction could be used as a tool with which
students might navigate the ethical and societal dimensions of technological terrain (Berne,
2008, Miller & Bennett, 2008). At its most powerful, science fiction has the potential to be
not just story-telling but an inquiry into the human dimensions of technological futures

2. (Miller & Bennett, 2008). Thus, can take advantage of the popularity of science fiction to
engage students more broadly in deliberations about technology (Miller & Bennett, 2008).
As Deery argues science fiction performs a vital social function, which is to offer a testing
ground, a thought experiment, where the social consequences of Science and Technology can
be extrapolated in an intuitive, holistic and empathetic manner , thus offering humanistic-
cultural as well as political dimensions to Science Education (as cited Dritsas, 2007).
Moreover, as science fiction is so often taken to be the expression of political opinion or
ideology of the scientific and technological society aimed at presenting alternatives to social
condition, it functions as thought experiment and critical discourse which can also bring more
skepticism about politics, ideologies and epistemological certainties in the context of Science
Education (Gough, 2006, Griffiths, 2009, Weinstein, 2009). This new socio-literary
techniques, inspired by science fiction could offer significant contributions to the governance
of new and emerging technologies by improving the capacity to reflexively assess the social
dynamics of socio-technical systems (Miller & Bennett, 2008)
This study is a part of a wider research project whose main aim is to examine the way science
fiction texts can be used as supplementary educational material in a cross-disciplinary context
in primary school (Stavrou & Skordoulis, 2008, Stavrou & Skordoulis, 2010).
METHODOLOGY
Due to the fact that this study is part of a wider research project aiming at examining whether
science fiction texts targeted at adult readers could be used in the context of educational
process in primary school, we designed and conducted the following Case Study.
Case Study Protocol
Research Questions
Whether students can identify the ethical, moral and political issues related to Technology
raised in science fiction texts.
Whether students can write science fiction stories, in accordance to science fiction
conventions, raising the above mentioned issues.
Sample
The research was conducted with a sixth-grade primary school class of 22 students (12- year
olds). The majority of them came from high-income and high education families.
Our research, consisting of six two-hour sessions, covered a period of six weeks in a cross-
disciplinary context.
Implementation
Firstly, students were asked to articulate definitions of science fiction. Then, they discussed
upon science fiction definitions given by the critics of the genre and they were asked to
identify the elements unique to the science fiction genre according to these definitions.
Thereafter, students read and analyzed the following science fiction short stories:
«Memorial» (1946) by Theodore Sturgeon
«The King of the Beasts» (1964) by Philip Jose Farmer
«The Dragon XXXX» (1960) by Stanislaw Lem
«Computer Virus» (2001) by Nancy Kress
The above texts were chosen on the basis of the following criteria: a) they were written by
acclaimed and awarded science fiction writers b) they refer to socio-scientific controversial
issues and, in particular, to contrasts and conflicts or different approaches emerging from

3. different speculations on technological advances c) Science and Technology are depicted as
human activities interacting with society.
Having read and analyzed each text, students had to work on a worksheet on the scientific
context of the text, as well as the characters, their actions, the facts and the plot. The
worksheets were designed in order for students to study not only the basic elements of the
story, such as the theme, plot, setting and conflict, but also to highlight any technological,
societal and/or ethical, moral and political issues as well as Technology versus society issues
that were raised in the stories.
In the next stage, students were asked to write their own science fiction story according to
particular instructions, in order to examine whether students were able to write science fiction
stories of their own and, at the same time, whether they were able to raise the above
mentioned issues in their stories. The science fiction story was assigned as an individual
homework task. Finally, the students were asked to evaluate their own stories by use of a
questionnaire, in order to become aware of the scientific context of their stories.
Our data (worksheets and science fiction stories by the students) were analyzed in accordance
with Qualitative Content Analysis.
RESULTS
Worksheets
The students were able to identify the elements of the text referring to the positive and
negative aspects of technology concerning society and the environment. The majority of them
mentioned the dual use of Technology. For instance, when analyzing the Memorial text,
the majority of them focused on the use of Nuclear Power for peace and its military use
(nuclear weapons). They also mentioned the problem with nuclear waste even when it is used
for peace. It is worth mentioning that a majority of them associated the military use of
Nuclear Power and Technology with politics.
Moreover, they focused on the dilemmas faced by the scientist characters of the stories
concerning the impact of the use of Technology (Nuclear Technology or Biotechnology).
Another point of focus was on the ethical and moral issues regarding the applications of
Technology. In particular, when analyzing the text The King of the Beasts the students
questioned the ethical or moral right of the scientists to clone a human being or even an
animal. On the other hand, in both the stories Memorial and King of the Beasts the
students articulated the view that only a scientist could deal with ethical and moral issues
concerning Science and Technology just because he is a scientist , that is, a special human
being.
In addition, they associated the use of Technology to matters of politics and power. In the text
The Dragon XXXX the majority of them focused on the use of Information Technology and
Computer Technology for world domination on behalf of politicians. Moreover, they were
able to identify the positive and negative aspects of Technology as well as the impact of
Technology on society, even when the text dealt with subjects the students were not familiar
with.
Science fiction stories written by the students.
The students were able to write short science fiction stories of their own, in accordance with
the genre s conventions. Despite the fact that they found it difficult to elaborate on the
dilemmas faced by the scientist characters of their stories they were able to write about the

4. variant aspects of Technology as well as the impact of Technology on society and the
environment.
In several students stories Technology was used in the solution of environmental problems,
or in many cases, in the solution of problems faced by society (the hole in the ozone layer,
cleaning the polluted seas, medication for the poor).
In addition, in several stories there were concerns about issues relating to ethical and moral
aspects of Technology, as in the case of stories where cloned or mutated humans or even
robots revolted against Technology itself.
Ultimately, in all stories the main character was a scientist, being the only person capable of
giving solutions to any kind of problems.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the students were not familiar enough with written science fiction, they were at ease
differentiating and identifying the ethical, moral and societal aspects / issues of Technology,
especially when presented with texts referring to subjects familiar to them, such as Nuclear
Power, Biotechnology, or texts in which the main character was a scientist.
As far as their own stories are concerned, the belief that Technology can be used in the
solution to any problem faced is expressed in all stories. Moreover, the image of the scientist
who has the ability to deal with and find solutions to all problems or issues prevails in all of
them.
Because of their engagement with science fiction texts students were able to ask where
humanity could possibly be led to with Science and Technology, and how these might affect
the social, moral, and environmental conditions of human life. Thus, science fiction could be
used, in order to enhance Education for Values, in Science Education.
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